With the 2020 NFL season just around the corner, our analysts predict who they think will win some of the league's most prestigious individual awards, including:
Participating analysts: Brian Baldinger, Judy Battista, Jeremy Bergman, Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Gil Brandt, Nate Burleson, David Carr, Brooke Cersosimo, Jeffri Chadiha, Gennaro Filice, Cynthia Frelund, Chase Goodbread, Marcas Grant, DeAngelo Hall, Dan Hanzus, James Jones, Maurice Jones-Drew, Rhett Lewis, Steve Mariucci, Shaun O'Hara, Dan Parr, Kevin Patra, Scott Pioli, Adam Rank, Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Ross, Adam Schein, Peter Schrager, Marc Sessler, Nick Shook, Joe Thomas, Jim Trotter, Kurt Warner, Lance Zierlein.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
(21 votes: Baldinger, Battista, Bergman, Blair, Brandt, Chadiha, Frelund, Grant, Hall, Hanzus, O'Hara, Patra, Pioli, Rosenthal, Ross, Schein, Sessler, Shook, Thomas, Warner, Zierlein)
2. Deshaun Watson (3 votes: Jones-Drew, Parr, Schrager)
T-3. Lamar Jackson (2 votes: Burleson, Goodbread)
T-3. Russell Wilson (2 votes: Bhanpuri, Filice)
T-5. Tom Brady (1 vote: Trotter)
T-5. Drew Brees (1 vote: Mariucci)
T-5. Derek Carr (1 vote: Carr)
T-5. Cam Newton (1 vote: Cersosimo)
T-5. Dak Prescott (1 vote: Lewis)
T-5. Aaron Rodgers (1 vote: Jones)
T-5. Carson Wentz (1 vote: Rank)
Why DeAngelo Hall chose Patrick Mahomes: We've seen Mahomes dominate since he took over as the Kansas City Chiefs' starting quarterback two seasons ago. Why should this year be any different? And while some might think there's got to be some sort of letdown on the horizon -- after being league MVP in 2018 and Super Bowl MVP last season -- Mahomes' talent and familiarity with his supporting cast and Andy Reid's offense keep him at the very top of his position -- and the NFL in 2020.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(6 votes: Burleson, Chadiha, Jones, Lewis, Shook, Thomas)
2. Patrick Mahomes (5 votes: Bergman, Brandt, Hanzus, Parr, Trotter)
3. Dalvin Cook (4 votes: Baldinger, Cersosimo, Jones-Drew, Patra)
T-4. Saquon Barkley (3 votes: Mariucci, O'Hara, Warner)
T-4. Lamar Jackson (3 votes: Goodbread, Pioli, Ross)
T-6. Ezekiel Elliott (2 votes: Bhanpuri, Carr)
T-6. Alvin Kamara (2 votes: Filice, Grant)
T-8. Tom Brady (1 vote: Hall)
T-8. Derrick Henry (1 vote: Schrager)
T-8. DeAndre Hopkins (1 vote: Blair)
T-8. Josh Jacobs (1 vote: Zierlein)
T-8. Kyler Murray (1 vote: Frelund)
T-8. Dak Prescott (1 vote: Sessler)
T-8. Matt Ryan (1 vote: Schein)
T-8. Carson Wentz (1 vote: Battista)
T-8. Russell Wilson (1 vote: Rank)
Why Jeffri Chadiha chose Christian McCaffrey: McCaffrey wanted 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in 2019, and he hit that goal. He might have to do it again to keep the Panthers competitive.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(7 votes: Carr, Cersosimo, Goodbread, Grant, Schein, Thomas, Warner)
2. Myles Garrett (6 votes: Bergman, Hall, Jones, Jones-Drew, Pioli, Shook)
3. T.J. Watt (5 votes: Blair, Filice, Sessler, O'Hara, Zierlein)
4. Nick Bosa (4 votes: Chadiha, Lewis, Ross, Trotter)
T-5. Chandler Jones (2 votes: Brandt, Patra)
T-5. Cam Jordan (2 votes: Frelund, Parr)
T-5. Khalil Mack (2 votes: Hanzus, Rank)
T-5. Devin White (2 votes: Baldinger, Schrager)
T-9. Joey Bosa (1 vote: Rosenthal)
T-9. Minkah Fitzpatrick (1 vote: Battista)
T-9. Patrick Peterson (1 vote: Bhanpuri)
T-9. J.J. Watt (1 vote: Mariucci)
T-9. Chase Young (1 vote: Burleson)
Why Adam Schein chose Aaron Donald: I've long argued that Donald is the best non-quarterback in the NFL. Heck, if they wanted to name the Defensive Player of the Year award after the two-time winner, I would be OK with it. He's a star, a living legend -- totally unstoppable.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
(11 votes: Battista, Blair, Chadiha, Filice, Grant, Hall, Jones, Lewis, Parr, Ross, Zierlein)
2. Joe Burrow (9 votes: Baldinger, Brandt, Cersosimo, Frelund, Hanzus, Patra, Pioli, Sessler, Warner)
T-3. Jerry Jeudy (3 votes: Jones-Drew, Rank, Rosenthal)
T-3. CeeDee Lamb (3 votes: Bhanpuri, Burleson, Trotter)
T-5. Henry Ruggs III (2 votes: Goodbread, Mariucci)
T-5. Jonathan Taylor (2 votes: Bergman, Schein)
T-7. J.K. Dobbins (1 vote: O'Hara)
T-7. Justin Jefferson (1 vote: Carr)
T-7. Michael Pittman Jr. (1 vote: Thomas)
T-7. Zack Moss (1 vote: Schrager)
T-7. Tua Tagovailoa (1 vote: Shook)
Why Marcas Grant chose Clyde Edwards-Helaire: I thought it would be interesting if the Chiefs spent their first-round pick on a running back. Turns out, they added arguably the most dynamic back to the league's most potent offense.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
(20 votes: Baldinger, Bergman, Brandt, Burleson, Carr, Frelund, Grant, Hall, Hanzus, O'Hara, Parr, Pioli, Rank, Rosenthal, Ross, Schein, Schrager, Sessler, Shook, Zierlein)
2. Isaiah Simmons (8 votes: Cersosimo, Chadiha, Goodbread, Jones, Jones-Drew, Mariucci, Patra, Thomas)
3. Patrick Queen (4 votes: Battista, Bhanpuri, Blair, Warner)
4. Antoine Winfield Jr. (2 votes: Filice, Trotter)
5. Kenneth Murray (1 vote: Lewis)
Why Gregg Rosenthal chose Chase Young: If you let all 32 personnel bosses choose which defensive player to take in the 2020 NFL Draft, I believe all 32 would have selected Chase Young. Why shouldn't I do the same?
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(10 votes: Chadiha, Filice, Frelund, Grant, Jones-Drew, Mariucci, O'Hara, Patra, Ross, Warner)
(10 votes: Baldinger, Battista, Bhanpuri, Carr, Cersosimo, Hanzus, Parr, Rank, Rosenthal, Sessler)
3. Cam Newton (5 votes: Bergman, Blair, Goodbread, Pioli, Thomas)
T-4. Philip Rivers (2 votes: Brandt, Hall)
T-4. Rob Gronkowski (2 votes: Schrager, Shook)
T-6. Bradley Chubb (1 vote: Zierlein)
T-6. A.J. Green (1 vote: Jones)
T-6. David Johnson (1 vote: Burleson)
T-6. Jerick McKinnon (1 vote: Lewis)
T-6. Patrick Peterson (1 vote: Trotter)
T-6. Trent Williams (1 vote: Schein)
Why David Carr chose Alex Smith: You already know I'm a Smith fan, in no small part because he's my former teammate (49ers). But after witnessing his incredible, and improbable, journey back from the catastrophic leg injury he sustained back in 2018, how can anyone not root for him? Regardless if Smith actually gets on the field for Washington or stays on the sideline, he deserves this award for getting this far.
COACH OF THE YEAR
(7 votes: Battista, Bhanpuri, Chadiha, Hall, Pioli, Thomas, Warner)
2. Sean McDermott (6 votes: Baldinger, Filice, Grant, Lewis, O'Hara, Trotter)
3. Bill Belichick (4 votes: Hanzus, Parr, Patra, Rosenthal)
4. Kliff Kingsbury (3 votes: Burleson, Schrager, Shook)
T-5. Mike McCarthy (2 votes: Blair, Schein)
T-5. Andy Reid (2 votes: Brandt, Frelund)
T-5. Mike Tomlin (2 votes: Mariucci, Ross)
T-8. Jon Gruden (1 vote: Carr)
T-8. Sean Payton (1 vote: Goodbread)
T-8. Doug Pederson (1 vote: Rank)
T-8. Dan Quinn (1 vote: Jones)
T-8. Frank Reich (1 vote: Zierlein)
T-8. Ron Rivera (1 vote: Cersosimo)
T-8. Kyle Shanahan (1 vote: Jones-Drew)
T-8. Kevin Stefanski (1 vote: Bergman)
T-8. Zac Taylor (1 vote: Sessler)
Why Judy Battista chose Bruce Arians: Arians' transformation of the Bucs began last year. Incorporating a new, aging quarterback -- even Tom Brady -- and adjusting the offense with no offseason or preseason games AND producing a playoff team that challenges the Saints for NFC South supremacy will be Arians' finest work.